US condemns Russian politics in Ukraine - Kerry
4 March 2014, 20:55
US Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday called Russia's politics in Ukraine an 'act of aggression' and reaffirmed Washington's commitment to the former Soviet state's territorial integrity.
'The United States reaffirms its commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. According to international law, we condemn the Russian Federation's act of aggression,' Kerry said. 'There is nothing strong in what Russia is doing.'
US Secretary of State John Kerry accused Russia on Tuesday of looking for a 'pretext' to invade Ukraine after taking de-facto control of the ex-Soviet state's strategic Crimea peninsula.
'I think that it is clear that Russia has been working hard to create a pretext for being able to invade further,' Kerry told reporters after meeting Ukraine's new Western-backed interim leadership in Kiev.
Kerry Tuesday warned Russia it faced further punitive steps from the international community if it did not act to reduce tensions.
'If Russia does not choose to deescalate... then our partners will have absolutely no choice but to join us to continue to expand the kind of steps we have taken in recent days in order to isolate Russia politically, diplomatically and economically,' he said on a visit to Kiev.
Obama says Putin's move into Ukraine not a sign of Russian strength
US President Barack Obama said on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin's politics in Ukraine is not a sign of Russian strength but rather a reflection of the deep concern Russia's neighbors have about Moscow's meddling.
'President Putin seems to have a different set of lawyers making a different set of interpretations,' Obama said. 'But I don't think that's fooling anybody.'
Obama said he held a meeting of the National Security Council on Tuesday morning, his second such session in two days about Ukraine.
Putin earlier said that sending the Russian military into the Crimea region of southern Ukraine is aimed at protecting Russian nationals.
Voice of Russia, Reuters, AFP
Source: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_03_04/US-condemns- Russian-politics-in-Ukraine-Kerry-9522/
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